Sec. 17a-50. (Formerly Sec. 17-500). Children's Trust Fund established. Regulations. Children's Trust Fund Council. Parent Trust Fund. Report.

      Sec. 17a-50. (Formerly Sec. 17-500). Children's Trust Fund established. Regulations. Children's Trust Fund Council. Parent Trust Fund. Report. (a) There is established a Children's Trust Fund, the resources of which shall be used by the council established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to fund programs aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect and family resource programs. Said fund is intended to be in addition to those resources that would otherwise be appropriated by the state for programs aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect and family resource programs. The Children's Trust Fund Council may apply for and accept any federal funds which are available for a Children's Trust Fund and shall administer such funds in the manner required by federal law. The fund shall receive money from grants and gifts made pursuant to section 17a-18. The Children's Trust Fund Council shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to administer the fund and to set eligibility requirements for programs seeking funding. Youth service bureaus may receive funds from the Children's Trust Fund. The Parent Trust Fund, established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, may receive funds directed to it through the Children's Trust Fund.

      (b) There shall be established, within existing resources, a Children's Trust Fund Council which shall be within the Department of Children and Families for administrative purposes only. The council shall be composed of sixteen members as follows: (1) The Commissioners of Social Services, Education, Children and Families and Public Health, or their designees; (2) a representative of the business community with experience in fund-raising, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (3) a representative of the business community with experience in fund-raising, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (4) a representative of the business community with experience in fund-raising, appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (5) a representative of the business community with experience in fund-raising, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (6) a parent, appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (7) a parent, appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (8) a parent, appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; (9) a person with expertise in child abuse prevention, appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; (10) a person with expertise in child abuse prevention, appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (11) a staff member of a child abuse prevention program, appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (12) a staff member of a child abuse prevention program, appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; and (13) a pediatrician, appointed by the majority leader of the Senate. The council shall solicit and accept funds, on behalf of the Children's Trust Fund, to be used for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and family resource programs, or on behalf of the Parent Trust Fund, to be used for parent community involvement to improve the health, safety and education of children, and shall make grants to programs pursuant to subsections (a) and (c) of this section. The council may, subject to the provisions of chapter 67, employ an executive director and any necessary staff within available appropriations.

      (c) There is established a Parent Trust Fund which shall be used to fund programs aimed at improving the health, safety and education of children by training parents in civic leadership skills and supporting increased, sustained, quality parental engagement in community affairs. The fund shall receive federal or private money from grants and gifts made pursuant to section 17a-18.

      (d) On or before July 1, 1997, and annually thereafter, the Children's Trust Fund Council shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health and education concerning the source and amount of funds received by the Children's Trust Fund and the Parent Trust Fund, and the manner in which such funds were administered and disbursed.

      (June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-20, S. 2, 4; P.A. 85-582, S. 1, 8; P.A. 89-336, S. 2, 6; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 97-237, S. 1, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 39, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 03-19, S. 35; P.A. 04-258, S. 25; P.A. 05-288, S. 68.)

      History: P.A. 85-582 transferred authority of children and youth services department to council, deleted reference to grants and gifts made pursuant to Sec. 17-422, substituting references to grants and gifts received pursuant to Sec. 17-501 and to proceeds of copyrights pursuant to Sec. 17-502 and added authority to expend resources for purposes other than the prevention of child abuse; Sec. 17-446a transferred to Sec. 17-500 in 1987; P.A. 89-336 amended Subsec. (a) to require that the resources of the trust fund be used by the department of children and youth services with the advice of the council and to allow the commissioner of children and youth services to apply for and accept federal funds, added a new Subsec. (b) re the children's trust fund council and added a new Subsec. (c) re the report to the general assembly; Sec. 17-500 transferred to Sec. 17a-50 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 97-237 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to Department and Commission of Children and Families with Children's Trust Fund Council, authorizing council to also fund family resource programs and programs preventing neglect and making technical changes, amended Subsec. (b) by placing the council within the Department of Children and Families for administrative purposes and by increasing the membership in the council from 9 to 16 and amended Subsec. (c) to require report to be submitted to the legislative committees on public health and education, effective July 1, 1997; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (a) to allow the Parent Trust Fund to receive funds directed to it through the Children's Trust Fund, amended Subsec. (b) to require council to solicit and accept funds on behalf of the Parent Trust Fund to be used for parent community involvement to improve the health, safety and education of children, added new Subsec. (c) establishing a Parent Trust Fund and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), adding a reference to the Parent Trust Fund therein; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-19 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective May 12, 2003; P.A. 04-258 amended Subsec. (b) by permitting the council to employ an executive director and any necessary staff within available appropriations, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(1), effective July 13, 2005.

      See Sec. 4-38f for definition of "administrative purposes only".